How to Take Out the Stock CD Player in a Chevy Cobalt

Chevy Cobalt owners who wish to upgrade their car stereo deck or repair the factory head unit will first need to remove the unit from the dashboard. Removal of the stereo deck can be performed by an inexperienced technician with standard tools and less than an hour’s time.

For safety, begin by removing the grounding wire from the Cobalt’s battery. The grounding wire can be easily identified as the black wire connecting the negative terminal on the battery to the frame of the vehicle. Loosen the bolt on the clamp that holds the battery cable to the negative terminal. Remove the cable and set it aside.

Move to the inside of the Chevy to begin addressing the dashboard paneling that contains the stereo deck. Use a trim panel tool to remove the dashboard panel located above the glove compartment.

Pull the trim panel under the steering column away from the bottom of the dashboard. Complete lower dashboard panel removal is not necessary. Loosening the panel from the dashboard will allow you the room necessary for reaching the CD player inside the Cobalt’s stereo dock.

Pry the dash panel that surrounds the ignition and then use the panel tool to remove the panel above the stereo dock. Set the panels aside.

After removing the panels that conceal the stereo dock, you will be able to see the array of screws that secure the factory stereo unit into the dashboard mounting dock. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws on either side of the Cobalt’s head unit. Be sure to keep track of the screws after you remove them from the mounting bracket. The screws will be used if you replace the head unit with an aftermarket stereo as well as in the event you re-install the factory unit.

Once the screws are removed, pull the two side edges of the factory stereo unit from the stereo dock with even force. The unit will slide straight from the stereo mounting dock until the connecting wires are reachable by hand. Disconnect the signal and power supply cables from the outlets on the back of the unit. Pull the antenna cable from the FM/AM antenna outlet on the lower left corner of the factory head unit’s rear panel. Pull the stereo the rest of the way from the dashboard to complete the removal.